Synopsis

Nicky's Family tells the nearly forgotten story of Nicholas Winton, an Englishman who organized the rescue of 669 Czech and Slovak children just before the outbreak of World War II.

Winton, now 104 years old, did not speak about these events with anyone for more than half a century. His exploits would have probably been forgotten if his wife, fifty years later, hadn ́t found a suitcase in the attic, full of documents and transport plans.

Today the story of this rescue is known all over the world. He was knighted by the Queen Elisabeth II and the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 583 recognizing his remarkable deed.

Winton's story is a very emotional one, and thousands of children in many countries have decided to follow in his footsteps and do something important. They think up various charity projects and even help in the saving of lives of undernourished and sick children in Cambodia and Africa.

120,000 children in the Czech Republic signed a petition to award Nicholas Winton the Nobel Prize for Peace. Dozens of Winton's "children" have been found and to this day his family has grown to almost 6,000 people, many of whom have gone on to achieve great things themselves.

It is incredible that all these people live due to the heroic deeds of one man – Sir Nicholas Winton. Producers Matej Minac and Patrik Pass set out to ensure these fascinating, little-known stories and precious facts about the rescue mission are not lost to time. They wanted also to show the unique phenomenon that has emerged from Winton's story, how his courageous acts many years ago continue to influence people from all over the world and motivate them to do good.

Their film demonstrates that members of Nicky's Family are not only the thousands of people who owe their lives to Sir Nicholas Winton, but also all those who want to do something positive for our world.

Nicky's Family has earned rave reviews from audiences and critics around the world, winning over 30 awards - including 14 audience awards from U.S. film festivals!

Latest News

"Nicky's Family" - Now on DVD

Discover the inspirational true story of "Britain's Schindler" Sir Nicholas Winton in the award-winning film Nicky's Family, now playing in select theaters nationwide and available to own on DVD!

The New York Times pays tribute to "reluctant hero" Sir Nicholas Winton!

“Winton’s story is an almost unbelievable one, made even more improbable by his decades-long altruistic attempt to avoid any sort of public recognition.” However, “it seems he can’t escape the spotlight any longer.” Read in The New York Times.

Following 60 Minutes' recent feature on Sir Nicholas Winton, an archivist from the U.S. National Archives discovered Winton's original letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, requesting U.S. assistance in rescuing Czech children.

Despite resistance, Winton persevered to save the lives of 669 children before the start of World War II. Discover his inspiring story in Nicky's Family, now available on DVD in the Menemsha Films Store!

"The children whom Winton helped save have grown up to be academics, members of parliament, scientists, artists, and more. Many have begun their own families and tried to instill in their children a sense of the moral obligation that comes with the recognition of the sacredness and fragility of life. As the film documents their contributions to society, I was struck by the ways in which time can magnify our deeds, showing us the larger consequences of what we thought were small achievements and the breathtaking scope of the ripples emanating from our best efforts."

Winner - Prize of Oty Hofman for Best Film
Winner - Special Jury Prize for film with the Most Impressive Moral Accent
Children’s Film Festival of Ota Hofman – Czech Republic

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Additional info

267,064 signatures worldwide and counting! (as of May 30th)Learn more about this campaign led by students from the Czech Republic here.

"Sir Nicholas Winton saved just before the outbreak of the Second World War lifes of 669 children (mostly Jewish) from Czechoslovakia by organizing trains to Britain, which took them away from the danger of Nazi Germany. He developed an adoption system, in which British families were given a chance to adopt a Czechoslovakian child and give him or her the opportunity to spend life in safety.

We, students of the age of the saved children think that such a heroic deed deserves to be appreciated by one of the highest awards possible - The Nobel Peace Prize."